MEET OUR FOUNDER
ANIKA JANELLE PETTIFORD
It all started with a desire to get off the “creamy crack” hair train that I was on since I was 8 years old.
Honestly, as a black girl growing up back then you didn’t really have a choice but to be baptized in the chemical laden, permanent, hair altering process of “getting a perm” aka getting a relaxer.
After receiving a health scare, I decided to radically change my diet. It wasn’t long after, that my clean lifestyle focused on my skin and body care. I threw out every store bought product I had and started making my own concoctions.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
Feeling very satisfied that I was now living a “clean” lifestyle, I somehow missed the glaring elephant on my head – my six week to the date ritual of getting a chemical relaxer. When it finally dawned on me, that this thing could in no way be good for my health – it gave me a pause. A loooong pause. How in the world could I possibly give up my hair routine? What did that even mean? It’s a common thing now, but back then there weren’t a lot of options that felt right for me.
The Problem:
I had TWO problems to solve. I wanted the option to wear my hair straight or curly without causing heat damage. And I also did not want to do the big chop and start over … I wanted to smoothly transition out of my relaxer without damaging my roots.
THE SOLUTION
Virgin Coconut Hair Serum
That predicament led to a journey that resulted in the creation of my first product – The Virgin Coconut Hair Serum. It was the ultimate styling product that allowed me to transition smoothly and get rid of the creamy crack – all without damaging or chopping my hair off.
The Janelle Beauty Virgin Coconut Hair Serum is still our best-selling product. However, we have since expanded our collection with clear goals in mind – healthier, fuller and stronger hair regardless of your hair type!
A Brand is Born
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention and that is exactly what led to the conception of Janelle Beauty. It was not in my life plan to start a beauty company. It was not even a thought on my mind. It was born out of necessity and a gap in the market for the products I needed.
My life was interrupted by an ailment that led me on a journey to health and wholeness. That journey led to a new world of beauty products that quickly got complicated when my focus turned to my hair.
As a woman of color, finding the right products that were both efficacious and of high-quality was no easy feat. However, I was determined to get what I needed even if it meant creating it myself. And that in a nutshell, was how Janelle Beauty was born.
Our Brand Ethos
THE JANELLE BEAUTY BOOK
You can read more about the Janelle Beauty Story in the Janelle Beauty Book. This treasure trove of recipes for the do-it-yourself crowd, gives you the confidence to craft your own hair smoothing masks, hair washes and body butters! It also includes a short memoir on the brand.
OUR MODELS ARE FAMILY – LITERALLY
When I started Janelle Beauty, I did not have to look far to find beautiful women of color to grace my marketing materials – I had a gazillion cousins and great friends!! Over the years, they have grown and their hair have evolved and they are still gracing our materials and testing our products. I honor them for believing in my dream and being there for me!
Our History
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Customers Reviews
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